Pretty maids all in a row
by greatsong
Summary: Hermione discovers a new talent and befriends the scoobies. However Voldemort has teamed up with some ghosts from the past.
1. Pool Party Crashers

Sorry for removing it, I just managed to figure out how to put it in chapters. Thanks to my anonymous reviewer for pointing out my spelling mistake.

Pretty maids all in a row

Buffy waved as the last of the slayers departed. Many had chosen to leave, and get on with their old lives. In fact the only ones to stay were Faith, Vi and Annabel. Willow was upset over the loss of Kennedy, but, truth be told the couple had been drifting apart for a while, and they weren't very much when they had been together anyway.

"Bye!" Buffy heard Willow yell as the slayers disappeared off into the distance.

In the months since the destruction of the hellmouth and Sunnydale the scoobies had been incredibly busy. They had come over to England, to the new building procured for the watcher's council, and immersed themselves in the search for new slayers. Willow had done some more mojo to take the powers from any potentials under 16, and to take them from any with evil intentions. Strangely Kennedy had stopped patrolling since then. Buffy had her suspicions about that.

"Buffy, Buffy, look at this!" Giles came running in, looking very flustered, and exited. Buffy took the piece of paper from his hand, very intrigued.

Hermione lay by the pool in her garden. The sun shone very brightly, tanning her pale skin a nut brown. Her father had recently had a promotion at work, and they had been provided with this beautiful house, no, not house, mansion. It was a big step up from the 3 bedroomed semi-detached they had owned before. Though she missed her old house Hermione loved it here. She screamed as cold water splashed her midriff. 'Damn cousins' she thought, sitting up and leaning over to yell at Cameron, only he wasn't there. With a whoop of joy he pushed her over, into the freezing pool.

Hermione rose to the surface spluttering, and automatically reached for her wand. Just in time she stopped herself, and pulled on his leg, dragging him in too.

"Hey!" he yelled, Hermione snickered.

She stepped back, and took a good look at her cousin. He was 18, with shoulder-length black hair, brown eyes, and buck teeth, like she had until about 4 years ago, when an 'incident' with Malfoy had fixed that. He was like a brother to her, and it hurt her that she couldn't tell him about her school, friends, and her world in anything but the broadest terms.

"What're you looking at?" He asked

"Nothing" she replied and dunked him.

He came up, and was about to dunk her back when an ear-splitting scream came from the house, Hermione recognised it at once as her mothers'. Without thinking she leapt out the pool, and grabbed her wand from her discarded jumpers' pocket.

"What's that, where are you going?" Cameron demanded.

"I'll explain later" Hermione yelled "Stick with me"

They charged through the back door to find a small group of masked men stood over the cowering forms of Hermione's mother and aunt. Hermione pushed Cameron behind her, putting up her wand.

"Stupefy!" She yelled, and one of the death-eaters fell. The remaining death-eaters wrenched off their masks to reveal sharp fangs, and horrifically disfigured faces with yellow cat's eyes, the like of which Hermione had only ever seen in text books. With a blood curdling yell Hermione launched herself at them, shifting her grip on her wand so she grasped it like a stake. She plunged it into the heart of the first unsuspecting one, and he stiffened, and then disappeared in a cloud of dust. She turned to the other two, to find them ready. Hermione snarled and punched out at one. He flew backward across the room, where he hit the wall with a sickening crack, then slumped on the floor like a rag doll. Cameron gasped. Marvelling at her newfound strength Hermione turned to the last vampire, who was backing away. She narrowed her eyes and yelled

"Solero!" He promptly burst into flames.

Hermione turned to find the first death-eater, to find him stirring and groaning

"Petrificus totalus" She said, then rolled him over onto his back, and carefully peeled off the mask, he was human. With a sigh she tried to lift him, and almost fell over as he came up into the air, as light as a doll.

Hermione turned around with the body in her arms to find her mother unconscious, and her aunt and Cameron cowering away from her, look s of shock and terror masking their faces.

"W-what is going on?" Cameron asked shakily, with none of his usual bravado.

"What do you want to know?" Hermione asked, setting the frozen body, whom she recognised, but couldn't put a name to down.

"Everything" Cameron said, regaining his confidence.

"…And that's about it." Hermione lamely concluded her story of the past five or six years. Cameron looked slightly disbelieving, and if it was possible even more shocked than before.

"But what about the super-strength thing?" He asked, "Is that part of becoming a witch?"

"No" Hermione replied with a frown "I have no idea where that came from. It just appeared out of nowhere."

"What do we do with the…the…bodies?" Cameron asked

"We write to my headmaster to get here as quickly as possible"

"How?"

"Pet owls named Sunset do have their uses you know." Hermione replied and walked off before Cameron could ask any more questions.

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office, sorting through the tedious, yet supremely satisfying work of sorting through next year's new students, and signing their letters. He was remotely startled when a strange owl flew in through the window, but not as startled as he recognised the writing of one Hermione Granger addressing the envelope. He tore open the letter calmly, and read it, a look of growing surprise and puzzlement on his face, it read:

Dear Professor 

_I am very sorry to disturb you, but this is very urgent. A group of death-eaters attacked my house. I have managed to stupefy one, and the other isn't moving. Something very strange happened also, which is part of what happened to the rest of them. Please come immediately, try to be as muggle as possible, because my cousin and aunt were present at the attack, and they are very upset. Please come quickly. _

_Hermione Granger._

After re-reading the letter Dumbledore picked up his wand and walked hurriedly to the school gates, where he apparated out.


	2. Bumps in the night

Hermione paced worriedly by the body, doubly worried now she realised whom the wizard was. McNair, the man who had tried to behead Buckbeak in her third year. Her mother was fine, she had just freaked out slightly when the death-eaters apparated in. Her father had been called home from work, and was pacing with her, cursing the whole wizarding world, despite the fact Hermione had told him that it wasn't all bad, and that by cursing the wizarding world he was in fact cursing her.

A loud pop came from the entrance hall, her mother shrieked, and Hermione relaxed.

"Up here, professor!" she called. Dumbledore came up the stairs, to find Hermione stood at the top, her wand trained on him.

"Sorry professor." She said, "I didn't know whether it was you"

As Dumbledore walked over to the body he sensed a difference in Hermione, not just in the way she walked, and handled this situation but in the way she was acting very careful, and looked very worried.

"What's wrong child?" He asked kindly

"Oh professor!" Hermione cried and collapsed onto a chair, telling him all that had happened, her worries and fears. If Cameron hadn't trusted him before he certainly did now, seeing the way his cousin opened up to him. He had never seen her do that, even to her parents in the last few years.

"Don't worry Hermione." Professor Dumbledore said, "I have a good idea what's going on here, first let's sort these out" he waved at the bodies.

"Where will we put them professor?" Hermione asked, feeling much better now that Dumbledore was in control.

"We give the Ministry a surprise visit." Dumbledore said, picking up a china dog from the mantelpiece, and charming it into a portkey. Hermione lifted both of the bodies, and grabbed onto the portkey, and waited.

"Wait!" cried Cameron, "Can I come too?" Dumbledore looked at Hermione.

"Sure" she shrugged, secretly glad to have her cousin along, this was going to raise all hell at the Ministry!

Buffy whistled, so this was the watchers council's secret. Another world running parallel to their own. One full to the brim of wizards and witches nonetheless. To think, her batty old neighbour named Mrs Figg who bred weird cats and smelled of prunes could've been a witch and she wouldn't have been the wiser, except magic didn't work on a hellmouth.

"I know it's a lot to take in Buffy," Giles said, "But some of the slayers will be witches, so you really will need to know-"

"How long have you known about this?" Buffy demanded, she hated people keeping things from her.

"The letter only just got through now, it was instructed to go the senior surviving watcher should anything ever happen to the council, I knew nothing of this before then."

"Oh, ok" Buffy said, feeling slightly ashamed for snapping out at that, "So what do we do now?"

"We talk to this Ministry place, and try to make contact."

As predicted chaos reigned as the group arrived at the Ministry. Aurors and curious onlookers swooped in from all sides, thankfully for Hermione Mr Weasley wasn't present. The unconscious death-eater was taken in for questioning, and the vampire remaining was staked, as he was 'too much of a danger to have around the Ministry'.

Hermione snorted at that, it was obvious the thing scared Fudge witless; Hermione was surprised to find it didn't scare her that much, probably because she had just knocked it out cold.

Cameron was completely amazed with the Ministry, as Hermione was swept away with the crowd he found himself alone with a seedy looking man, wizard probably, with receding red hair.

"Hello, I'm Arthur Weasley, do you know what's going on?" the person asked.

"Weasley…Weasley, would you be Rom's father?" Cameron asked, warming to the man.

"Yes Ron is my son, do you know him?" Mr Weasley asked

"I know of him" Cameron replied, "I am Cameron Granger-Brown."

"Granger-Brown, are you with Hermione? I thought I saw her."

"Yeah, Hermione is my cousin."

"Why are you here? Aren't you a muggle?"

Cameron proceeded to tell Mr Weasley everything that had happened that afternoon, albeit slightly exaggerated. At the end Mr Weasley was looking extremely worried, and he took Cameron to go and find Hermione.

Buffy sat outside someone's office at this 'Ministry' place. It was in uproar, and not about them. There were people _everywhere_ running around like headless chickens. It would be amusing if only she knew what was going on. Out of the chaos a teenage girl, presumably a witch, and an old man who looked suspiciously like Buffy's granddad sat down.

"So you're a witch then." Xander said in a lame attempt at a conversation, however the young witch had other things on her mind obviously, and merely nodded non-commitmently; trying to rescue Xander Buffy talked to her also.

"I'm Buffy Summers" she said, at that the old man looked up.

"Buffy Summers the slayer?" He asked.

"Yeah." Buffy said guardedly.

"You may be able to shed some light on out current situation." At that the teenage girl looked up also.

"Huh?" Xander asked

"Hermione, one more time please." Dumbledore said

"Ok." Hermione sighed, and proceeded with her story for the third time.

"I think we found us our first slayer," the unintroduced red-head "Welcome to the gang."

Hermione grinned, feeling lots better now she knew what was going on, she had read about the slayer in books, and the new spell in the papers, there had been a warning going out, but Hermione hadn't noticed it at the time.

"How about you come with us and we'll talk." Giles suggested "Everything is so chaotic around here I'm surprised anything gets done!"

"It's more organised normally." Hermione said, then something struck her "Cameron!" she cried. "We left him in the lobby."

"Don't worry Hermione, I have him here." Came a familiar voice

"Mr Weasley! I'm so glad you found him!" Hermione exclaimed and grabbed her cousin.

Before they left Dumbledore took Mr Weasley aside and talked to him quietly, Even with slayer hearing Hermione couldn't make out what he was saying, it had something to do with her though, she could tell by the glances Mr Weasley kept sending her way.

"Shall we leave?" Dumbledore asked

"We'll go to our place." Giles said

"We can meet you there, can you take Cameron with you?" Hermione said, then she apparated out closely followed by professor Dumbledore.

"Wow!" Xander exclaimed

Together Cameron and the scoobies walked out of the Ministry, they called a cab, and reached the watchers council HQ to find Hermione and Dumbledore waiting outside.

"Finally!" Hermione exclaimed. Cameron stuck his tongue out at her.

"Let's get into the warm, it's so cold in this country." Buffy shivered. Giles unlocked the door, and they all traipsed in.

"Tea, Coffee, anyone?" Giles asked. Everyone refused politely.

Hermione wandered around the council, amazed at some of the weapons they had here.

"Hey" came a voice from the shadows by the window in what was obviously the training hall.

"Hi" Hermione said, "Who are you?"

"My name is Dawn." came the voice, and out from the shadows stepped a tall long-legged girl of around 16, with long brown hair and big blue eyes.

"My name is Hermione." Hermione said, "Are you one of the slayers?"

"No, my big sister is Buffy." Dawn said

"So you've been around vampires and demons for a long time, could you please tell me about them?" Hermione asked, her curiosity overriding her manners, which were usually impeccable.

"Yeah." Dawn readily agreed, glad to be around another girl her age, and not wanting to lose her attention.

"So it's all settled then." Dumbledore said, after much chatting.

"Absolutely perfect." Giles, who was getting on very well with Dumbledore, said "Hermione's watcher will be at her house within a few days…

" If there are any problems please tell us, it's a real bummer to have a watcher you don't like." Xander said knowledgeably, Dumbledore and Giles laughed

"What?" Xander asked, and then muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "British!"

"I'm really sorry Dawn." Hermione said to her newfound friend, "I'm gonna have to go now, Dumbledore will be getting worried."

"Ok." Dawn said disappointed, "I'll show you the way."

"Thanks!" Hermione exclaimed, she had been dreading trying to find her way back to the main room.

"Ah there you are Hermione!" Dumbledore said, "I was about to send out a search party for you, we have everything sorted, if it's alright with your parents then your watcher will arrive within the week, and begin to train you immediately."

"That should be fine." Hermione said, "Thanks."

It was very quiet in the house now that Cameron had gone, she missed her cousin already. But that was overshadowed by her watcher's imminent arrival that afternoon; the watcher had a room in the guest bedroom closest to Hermione's, so they could train at any time of day or night and not disturb her parents. With that thought Bumblebee, her new owl flew in through the window, bearing a letter from Ron. It said:

Dear Hermione 

_Harry is here already, and we are inviting you too. We are all (you know where) and you can reply saying when you are coming. See ya soon._

_Ron_

Hermione sighed; as much as she would love to she could not go that year, for obvious reasons, so Hermione sadly replied something to that effect.

As Bumblebee flew out through the window the doorbell rang. Excitedly Hermione ran downstairs, then composed herself and opened the door calmly. On the doorstep stood a woman in her mid-twenties with a couple of suitcases.

"Hermione Granger?" She asked when Hermione nodded she said, "I am your watcher."

With a smile Hermione waved her in, and left her in the capable hands of her parents as she took her watcher's things upstairs. Soon her watcher joined her.

"So rude of me" said her watcher, "My name is Alison, Alison Cane, you can call me Allie."

"Hi Allie." Hermione said, "Do you want the 'grand tour'?"

"Yes please." Allie replied with a grin. They were clicking already.

Later that evening Allie sat in her room with Hermione laying a few ground rules.

"You will get up when I tell you, and please do not question me too much. My methods will help you survive, so you need to remember that whenever you feel like whinging at me."

"Ok." Hermione replied, a little shocked at the brusqueness of her seemingly easy-going watcher. "I'm going to go to bed now, goodnight." She said.

Hermione slept badly that night, she dreamt of her friends Harry, Ron, and the Scoobies, as well as her parents and Allie, they were all floating round in her head, Bohemian Rhapsody style, and repeating one thing, "You are my pretty maids, all in a little row, row, row, and the queen of hearts is getting hungry", it was spoken in a lilting cockney accent that sent shivers down her spine.

"Hermione, wake up." Came Allie's voice, cutting through the fog of her nightmare, "Time for your first training session."

"What time is it?" Hermione asked groggily

"Half eight."

"I'm getting up."

"You have 15 minutes."

Hermione leapt out of bed, and pointedly suggested that maybe Allie should leave. Allie blushed and co-operated. Once she was gone Hermione charmed her clothes on.

She tied her hair in a ponytail and walked out the room

"Ready." she said

"That was quick."

"What now?"

"First I want to gauge your fitness, so you must run up and down the main stairs, floor one to five, then fun two laps of your _whole_ garden."

Hermione's eyes widened, but she ran as she was told. She was out of breath at the end, but she felt that she could do the whole thing again easily. These slayer boons just kept on coming!

"That was very good." Allie conceded grudgingly. "Now, what training in fighting have you had in the past, if any?"

"My mum has had me doing these marshal arts classes, since I was about five. I got my black belt last summer." Hermione leaned in closer " OI think my mum has issues." Allie nodded.

"Kick this pad." Allie said, Hermione did, and Allie flew backwards.

"Oh, oh my, are you alright?" Hermione ran forwards.

"I'm ok, they breed us tough up North." Allie joked, "Not like you southern lot! Now I think we are safe to say you need no unarmed combat training. If you let me go get my things we can move on to weapons training."

"Yay!" Hermione said, she had been looking forwards to his part.


	3. Grimauld place

For the next six weeks of the summer holidays Hermione trained hard, until Allie declared her able enough to just be trained at weekends when she returned to school. Hermione was given the last week of the holidays off, so that she could visit her friends, being the show-off that she was Hermione apparated to Grimauld place, her birthday being on the 31st of July she was the oldest in her year, she was very nearly in the year above. The other wouldn't be able to apparate until the following summer.

Hermione was growing increasingly nervous about the upcoming visit as she waved goodbye and picked up her suitcase. She just didn't know how to tell Ron and Harry about this. Hopefully she would just blab it out without thinking. Despite what people said that was, in Hermione's experience, the best way to tell people about things, without too many repercussions.

Hermione apparated into the entrance hall, waking up the late Mrs Black.

"Hermione!" she heard Ron exclaim, then, "You can apparate now?"

"Yeah, I am of age, I had lessons during the summer, do you and Harry want to show me where to put my things, then we'll go and meet your parents. Hermione shouted over Mrs Black.

"You know wher-oh!" Ron shouted back.

Harry came around the corner to see whom Ron was yelling at.

"Hermione!" he called, and ran up to give her a hug. Hermione hugged back, a little too hard "Ow!" Harry exclaimed, "When did you get so strong?"

"I'll explain upstairs." Hermione said. That definitely piqued their interest. Once they were upstairs she put down her suitcase and told them everything that had happened, it was so much easier than she had previously imagined.

"Wow" Ron said at the end, obviously at a loss for words.

" Hermione, that's…that's amazing" Harry said lamely.

"Hermione, can you…that is…you know Malfoy has been such a ferrety git recently" Ron started

"No Ron, I can't hurt humans." Hermione cut across him

"Oh." Ron said, looking dejected.

"Shall we go downstairs?" Hermione asked. They followed her mutely, still trying to soak up the information.

"Hello Hermione!" Mrs Weasley called from the kitchen. Hermione was glad that they already knew what was going on through Mr Weasley, she really didn't feel like explaining it all through again. To her surprise and glee everyone was acting totally normal around her, Allie had prepared her for a bestranged welcome, but nothing of the sort was happening here.

As the week wore on Hermione once again immersed herself in the entertaining business of cleaning this death trap of a house. Here was another area where her slayer powers were helping out. With her reflexes strength and stamina Hermione became a valuable member of the 'clean team' and saves Ron's, Ginny's, Harry's and Fred's necks a couple of times. She had also 'encouraged' the twins not to test any of their tricks out on her. Forcefully.

All too soon the summer ended, and it was time for their trip to Diagon Alley. They flooed, much to the delight of Ginny who absolutely loved flooing. They all arrived in one piece, albeit a little sooty, and proceeded to buy their books, Hermione bought herself some more robes, since she had grown lots over the summer. She was almost as tall as Ron now!

"Ello there ermione." Came a familiar voice from behind her.

"Hagrid, hi!" she said, turning and giving him a hug, careful not to make it too strong.

"Well, yeve grown ower the summer, you must be at least as tall as Ron over ere now." Hagrid grinned

"Thanks Hagrid" Hermione said, grinning back. "Ron, Harry! Come see who I've found!" she yelled over the crowds.

"Hi Hagrid." Harry said, squinting up at his face. "It's good to see you."

"You too arry, how've you been bearin up then?" Hagrid asked tentatively

"Fine, better now I'm away from the Dursleys. Hermione has promised to take me under her wing this summer." Harry said, Hagrid looked slightly confused.

Someone put a hand on Hermione's shoulder. Startled she grabbed hold of it and swung the person over her shoulder. They gave a startled little squeal.

"Oh, Allie, I am so sorry!" Hermione said, going bright red.

"Is everything ok Hermione?" Allie asked, "You seem a little jumpy."

"Yeah, I just keep having these funny dreams of late, they're putting me on edge."

Ron cleared his throat.

"Oh, right." Hermione said "Harry, Ron, Hagrid, this is my watcher Alison Cane, Allie, theses are Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Rubeus Hagrid." They all shook hands.

"Watcher?" Hagrid asked, "Only sla-ow!" He cried as Hermione stamped on his foot.

"Let's meet your parents in the leaky cauldron, we can talk there." Hermione said to Ron, she walked off, followed by a greatly exaggeratedly limping Hagrid.

It was dark in the leaky cauldron, but not so dark that Hermione couldn't see the look of shock on Hagrid's face.

"Well I'll be blown, our Hermione." He murmured.

"Sorry to break this up, but what are these dreams like Hermione? Slayers often have prophetic dreams when great danger approaches." Allie said briskly.

"They are really weird." Hermione shivered

"I am sat on the school train, when vampires storm it. I get knocked out, then I see Harry, Ron, and the Scoobies, as well as my parents and you, you are all floating round in front of me, Bohemian Rhapsody style, and repeating one thing, 'You are my pretty maids, all in a little row, row, row, and the queen of hearts is getting hungry', it's said in a cockney accent that freaks me out. Then I wake up".

"It sounds like just a normal dream to me, sorry to have raised any alarm." Allie shrugged it off. If you want to try and find them the scoobies are here somewhere, you could introduce them to these friends."

"Good idea!" Hermione said enthusiastically, "Come on guys."

With that she left, leaving Harry and Ron to follow in her bubbly wake.

It didn't take long to locate the Scoobies, as they stuck out like a sore thumb. There were quite a few of them, as 'Scooby' had grown to cover all those who fought against the first, plus a few new slayers and watchers, including Hermione and Allie.

"Hey guys!" Hermione said, "Why are you here?"

"Checking out your world H." Faith replied, "Do you guys _really_ ride broomsticks?"

"You betcha, it's fun." Hermione said, immediately adopting 'Scooby talk', and completely mystifying Ron and Harry.

"Guys, these are Ron and Harry, you can introduce yourselves, as there are so many of you, and I'm all intro-ed out." Harry just caught the meaning of this; Ron was still in the mystery zone.

Not understanding what was going on completely failed to worry Ron as a tall brunette stepped from the crowd.

"Hi, my name is Dawn." She said, offering a hand.

"Errrrrr." Said Ron, looking at the hand as if he was figuring out what is was. The girl raised her eyebrows and went off to talk with Hermione. The two of them soon started giggling, and Ron kicked himself, turning bright red.

"Smooth move Ron." Harry said from behind him.

"Sod off." Ron growled, then turned and stormed back off to the leaky cauldron. Harry followed him, laughing.

They all spent a very cosy evening, exchanging stories of their exploits n the world of fighting baddies. Ron hung off every word every time dawn got up to tell a story. It was obvious he was smitten by her. Even Hagrid noticed it was so obvious. In fact the only person who hadn't figured was Dawn herself.

All too soon the morning, and school came. They all said many goodbyes, and promised to write and visit. When the train driver threatened to leave without them they finally tore themselves away. They just caught it, and to their delight managed to find an empty compartment.

It was dark and stormy, and Hermione felt very jittery, these were the exact conditions her dream happened in. Allie's scoffing over her dream just being normal suddenly seemed less reassuring. Without any warning the train jerked to a stop. Screams echoed along the corridor, and Ron fell off his seat.


	4. My thirteen little maids

Teachers came along the corridor, rounding up all the students, and taking then to the prefects' carriages. Harry, Ron and Hermione were the last there. The teachers were counting everyone up, and soon found 12 girls missing.

Everyone started to panic as Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall prepared to go out to search for the girls. Cutting through the crowds Hermione approached them.

"Professors, I think I should come with you. There could be things out there you can't deal with." She said

"Like what Miss Granger?" Snape asked snidely

"Well, for example there are vampires. Only a few ancient spells work on them, the rest rebound on the caster." Hermione pointed out.

"Good point Hermione." Professor McGonagall said. "But you have to be careful."

Hermione grinned and pulled two stakes and a cross out of her bag. One stake went up her sleeve, the cross went around her neck, and the other stake got clenched in her hand. She tucked her wand in a pocket.

Thus armed the small party left the train, and started to hunt. Before long they stumbled across a vampire. Catching him unawares Hermione drove a stake through his back and into his heart.

"Aren't you glad you brought me along?" she whispered, moving silently ahead into some woods.

McGonagall and Snape swapped a look, and then followed.

Hermione crept into a clearing, and then froze. Her slayer-sense was tingling. A voice rang from the distance.

"Pretty maids, pretty maid, why are you twelve?" Hermione recognised the voice. It had haunted her dreams all summer. She screamed.

A horde of the un-dead rose from the undergrowth. Hermione braced herself to fight. A sharp pain stabbed at the back of her head. She slumped down and everything went black.

Professors Snape and McGonagall heard Hermione scream and ran forwards, however by the time they reached the clearing Hermione and all the vampires had gone. They searched fruitlessly for an hour, before deciding to return to the train to see if Hermione was there. She wasn't. Deciding that they could do no more they ordered the train driver to carry on to Hogwarts.

Hermione woke to find herself tied to a stake, as if she was to be burned. As soon as that thought crossed her mind she quelled it. The person who had tied her obviously didn't know that she was a slayer, as they had tied her with normal rope. She could feel the reassuring weights of her wand in her pocket, and her stake up her sleeve.

Trussed up next to her were twelve girls from Hogwarts, ranging from first years to seventh. They all wore identical looks of terror and hopelessness. In a circle around them stood a crowd of vampires. Surveying the row was a pale skinned woman with long brown hair and dreamy eyes. When she spoke her voice sent a shiver down Hermione's spine. This was the person from her dreams.

"You are my pretty maids, all in a little row, row, row, and the queen of hearts is getting hungry." The woman addressed her captives in a singsong voice, swaying slightly.

"Bring me the first one." She ordered her minions. One of them moved to untie Hermione. She spat in his eye.

"Be good now puppy, mummy will be nice." The woman said.

The man, no, vampire carried on untying Hermione. The moment she was free Hermione pulled her stake out, and slew him. The vampires stood shocked. Using their confusion Hermione ripped the other girls free. The vampires charged at Hermione.

Hermione pushed the girls behind her, to a gap in the trees that the vampires had left unguarded.

"Go!" she whispered loudly, then turned towards the vampires. She grinned.

"Is it me, or did the wind change direction one very unfortunate day?" she quipped. The vampires snarled.

"It's just me then." Hermione said lightly, and lashed out at the nearest vampire. They attacked together, probably realising that she was a slayer. Hermione stabbed everywhere, pushing her stake into every bit of flesh she could find.

Hermione screamed as a searing pain cut across her cheek, and down her neck. All of a sudden the heap of disorganised vampires stepped back, leaving he in the steady grasp of their three strongest. She struggled futilely. The female vampire stepped forward, and licked the blood off Hermione's face. She shuddered involuntarily and froze. The vampire plunged its teeth deep into Hermione's neck. She screamed, then crumpled to the floor.

"Well done." Came a voice from the shadows. "You have exceeded all expectations Ms Dru.

"Gone, what do you mean gone? She can't have just disappeared!" Ron cried.

"I'm very sorry Ron, but there was no sign of her anywhere." Professor McGonagall said in an attempt to calm the distraught teen. We will go back there at first light to search again. You are welcome to join us then."

This reassurance calmed Ron a little, and he sank back onto the chair in Professor McGonagall's office.

"It's just not like her." Harry said. "She never runs off half-cocked. Something must've caught her by surprise."

"I quite agree Harry." Said Professor Dumbledore from the shadows. Harry started at his voice. "I also think that, Harry, Ron, it's time for you to go to bed."

Harry and Ron grumbled at this, but agreed and traipsed up to bed in silence. Each envisaging what dreadful things could be happening to their best friend right now.

Harry and Ron both lay for hours before they managed to drift off to sleep. When he did Harry had an awful dream.

Harry's scar burned reed hot. He was whipped in a tornado of pain to a clearing in a gloomy forest. Everything was black and white, and looked like it was underwater. A group of girls in Hogwarts robes were tied to posts. Among them was Hermione. She was untied, and pulled down by a vampire. Staking him she ripped the others free and sent them away to safety, charging the older ones to look after the little first years. She whirled and fought the vampires. Harry lost sight of her among the mêlée. She emerged with a huge gash across her cheek and down her neck. Three huge vampires were holding her. A female vampire stepped forwards and did something to Hermione's face. Hermione shivered. The vampire plunged her teeth into Hermione; Hermione crumpled to the floor and lay there. Panicked Harry's dream-self knelt over her. She wasn't breathing. Harry flew back to his body and awoke with a start, his scar throbbing.

"Harry, Harry, you were having one of your dreams again. It's morning." Ron was shouting over him.

Harry swore and leapt to his feet, not bothering to dress he charged out the door, and ran all the way to Professor Dumbledore's office, receiving some fairly funny looks from bewildered students along the way. He breathlessly yelled the password to the gargoyle and charged up the stairs at full speed.

"Professor, professor!" Harry yelled, "I had another one of those dreams, it was about Hermione!" at this point a bewildered Ron charged in, breathing heavily, having had forgotten the password.

"Whatever is the matter Mr Potter?" Professor McGonagall asked.

Harry recounted his dream of the night before. Ron started to swear very colourfully.

"What are we waiting for? If we are quick Hermione and the other girls may still be alive!" Professor McGonagall cried. Without another word Professor Dumbledore enchanted a quill to become a portkey and they all grabbed onto it. In a matter of seconds Harry felt himself be lifted off the ground and Dumbledore's office swam and spun into a forest clearing.

Sure enough, in it were thirteen posts, with their ropes snapped. The ground was churned up, and there was a reddish-brown stain covering it. No one needed to say it, because everyone was thinking it. Blood. Hermione's blood.

Something moved in the bushes. Everyone span on their heels and trained their wands on the bushes. From it crawled eleven petrified, filthy girls. Among them was Lavender Brown, who burst into tears.

"Th-th-they took H-Hermione, a-and Ang-Angelina!" she sobbed.


	5. A gift from Hermione

Hermione awoke in a dark room, deep underground. She felt more alive than ever before, which was strange really, seeing as she was dead. Looking around she saw she was in a cell with an iron grate across the door, locked in with her was Angelina Bell.

"Hermione, you're awake!" she cried, "I thought you were dead or something."

"You were right." Hermione said, turning on Angelina. "I am dead"

Angelina screamed. Hermione plunged her teeth into Angelina's neck. Angelina fell like a rag doll and Hermione stood up, her face changing back. She walked forwards and wrenched the door off its hinges, throwing it aside.

"Show yourselves!" she yelled.

From the shadows stepped a man with icy blonde hair, who looked an awful lot like Draco. His hair was obviously dyed, and he had a scar cutting through his eyebrow. He wore a black trench coat. Stood behind him, hopping from leg to leg was the woman from before, wearing what looked like a baby blue nightie.

"I think you chose well pet." The man said. "I am Spike, and this is Dru. We run things around here, glad to have you with us." He held out a hand. Hermione glanced at it, and then looked up again.

"What exactly are you running?" Hermione asked. Spike raised an eyebrow.

"What we are doing is none of your business." He said, "You do what we tell you when we tell you."

"That's fine for now." Hermione said, "but I need to do something first."

"You will not leave this base." Spike said, getting annoyed at Hermione's impertinence.

"Stop me." Hermione said, and apparated out. Spike swore loudly

"A witch Dru?" He asked exasperatedly, then muttered under his breath "Why me?"

Hermione apparated into Ollivander's shop.

"Sorry to disturb you this late at night." She said, "But my wand snapped, and I really need a new one, as soon as possible."

"That is perfectly fine Miss Granger," Mr Ollivander said, "You are in luck, I just got a new batch finished, let's try you with this one first."

Hermione took the wand and waved it. This wasn't like her first wand at all, she felt as if someone had let her into a crowded place, and locked the doors. She could feel the power flowing through her.

"This is the right one." She said, awed.

"Are you sure?" Mr Ollivander asked, then he looked at Hermione's face.

"Yes, yes Ican see that it is, I warn you, that is an extremely powerful wand."

Hermione glanced at it wonderingly.

"That I had already discovered Mr Ollivander." She said, "Goodbye."

Hermione turned out the shop.

"Hey, you haven't paid!" Mr Ollivander called.

"Ah yes, thank you for reminding me." Hermione said, and then bit Mr Ollivander's neck, dropping him lifeless to the floor.

Hermione grabbed hold of the body, and apparated out.

Harry awoke with a start; something was knocking on the window. He sprang to his feet, drawing his wand as a thought came to him. Maybe it was Hermione, or an owl from her, he still refused to believe that Hermione was dead.

He walked to the window, and tripped over a small pebble. Obviously whoever was down there had been trying to get someone's attention. He leant out the window, and called

"Hello, is anyone there?" No one answered.

"Lumos" he muttered. On the floor below the window was a large, heavy looking-parcel.

"What is it mate?" Ron asked.

"A parcel." Harry replied

"Get your broom, and fly down and get it." Neville said from the warmth of hid four-poster."

"Good idea." Ron said, running to his bed and digging about underneath it until he unearthed a broom.

"I'll go." With that he pulled a maroon sweater over his head and swooped out the window.

"It's huge, and too heavy." Ron called up, "Someone else needs to come down here and help."

Harry took his broom from its place leant up against the wall and flew out the window. However even with two of them there it was impossible to lift.

"Neville, in my trunk is a rope, get it out and throw one end down, wake the others to help you haul it up." Harry called.

"No need Harry" came Seamus's voice, "Wingardium Leviosa!" He called, and the package started to slowly lift. Harry and Ron followed below it just in case. Eventually they reached the top.

"What's in that thing?" Seamus asked, beads of sweat falling down his face.

"There's a message," Ron said excitedly, ripping off the envelope, he read the contents aloud.

Harry and Ron 

_Please open this in the great hall at breakfast; it contains a surprise for you. Use 'Wigardi Portite' (pronounced wig-art-ee paw-tight-I) to get it down there. _

_Love – an old Otter friend"_

"It's from Hermione!" Harry exclaimed.

"Mate-…" Ron started

"No, listen, Hermione is an old friend, and her patronus is an otter, and doesn't that sound just like Hermione? It sounds just like a textbook." Harry cut across

"I think you're right mate" Ron said, his eyes widening, then he glanced down at the letter. "It's her writing alright."

Harry couldn't sleep for the rest of the night, and had to stop himself from just leaning over and tearing the wrapping off the parcel several times.

Finally the bell rang for students to get up and dressed, Harry leapt out of bed and dressed hurriedly. However Ron was sluggish after the nights adventure, and took forever to get up and dressed. Harry had to restrain himself from physically dressing him. Finally Ron was ready and the Gryffindor boys floated the parcel downstairs using Hermione's spell.

As they reached the Great Hall a crowd gathered around them. When they entered it the majority of the students there came to see what the huge parcel was, some of the teachers even started to walk along the to the Gryffindor table.

"Open it, open it." Lavender encouraged.

Harry started to open it very slowly; the room fell silent, and the atmosphere was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Harry unwrapped the last layer of brown paper as Professors McGonagall, Hagrid and Flitwick drew near curiously.

Harry stepped back with a gasp, people started to scream and run backwards, trampling poor Professor Flitwick, and breaking around Hagrid's bulk. People at the back craned their necks to see what all the fuss was about. In a corner someone was retching violently. Ron's face had gone ashen.

"I don't think it's from Hermione mate." He whispered, before keeling over backwards.

"Ron!" Harry cried, whirling to catch him, too late.

"So nice to have you back." Spike drawled, "May I enquire as to where you've been?" he added sardonically.

"Of course you may, I may not answer though." Hermione smirked back.

Spike sighed, and threw a hand over his eyes dramatically. Then his head snapped up and his eyes unfocused.

"Dru!" He cried.

"What?" asked Hermione sharply.

Spike pivoted hurriedly and ran from the cave, baring his fangs. Hermione followed closely on his heels.

They came up into the centre of a huge mass of pitch-fork-bearing crown, bearing down upon a cowering Dru. Hermione didn't have much experience with pitchforks and torches, but from her History of Magic textbook they didn't bode well for vampires or witches.

"Get away from her, she's a vampire!" someone from the crowd cried.

"Guess we'd better stick together then." Hermione said, baring her fangs also.

"I know there's a slayer in this crowd somewhere, I can sense her, bring her forwards or this man gets it." She said, grabbing the person nearest to her.

A blonde teenager stepped forwards "I am the slayer." She said, "Put the man back and I'll fight you one on one."

"Ok." Hermione said, and flung the man to one side.

"Herm-…" Spike started

"I know what I'm doing Spike." Hermione cut him off, at the sound of the name the slayer gasped.

"What's the problem Mr Potter?" Professor McGonagall asked from the back of the crowd.

"O-ollivander a-a-and K-k-k-atie." Harry stuttered before fainting also, Hagrid peered over the heads of the students and turned a nasty shade of green.

"Get them students out of 'ere." He ordered Professor McGonagall, and brushed a tear from his eye.

Unaccustomed to being ordered about by Hagrid Professor McGonagall started to open her mouth, then ushered everyone out, ordering them back to their common rooms, where they would be talked to as soon as possible.

"What is it Minerva?" Professor Dumbledore asked, walking into the jam-packed infirmary. It had all the staff, and those students that had fainted, thrown up, or been close to the bodies packed into it.

"It's awful Professor, Katie Bell and Ollivander have been killed." Professor McGonagall replied tearfully. Dumbledore's face grew grave.

"Why are their bodies here?" Dumbledore asked

"I don't know, you should ask Potter and Weasley here." Professor McGonagall replied indicating Ron and Harry.

"Harry, Ron, come to my office please." Dumbledore said firmly.

Harry and Ron traipsed after Dumbledore, along the corridor to his office.

"Acid Pops." He said brusquely to the gargoyle. They went up the stairs and sat down at the desk opposite Dumbledore.

"I know this is hard, but I would like to know what happened." Dumbledore said kindly.

Harry told him the events of the previous night; with Ron adding in things he missed.

"Ah." Dumbledore said when they finished, "I can see how that happened. I would like you to be more careful about anonymous parcels in the future however."

"There's one more thing, sir." Harry added hesitantly, "There was this note with it", Harry pulled the note from his pocket, "We thought it was from Hermione, as her Patronus is an otter, and it just sounds like her."

"I see." Pondered Dumbledore, carefully keeping his face blank.


	6. A mission and a new life

The blonde slayer rounded on Hermione.

"What did you do to him?" she demanded

"Spike? I didn't do anything, why?" Hermione asked, lunging forwards. The slayer dodged.

"Well?" Hermione asked, pretending to tap her foot as Buffy circled her. Hermione was glad of her cloak's hood; she wasn't quite ready to come out yet. Anonymity may still be useful yet. The slayer just growled and charged at Hermione. Hermione whipped out her wand and froze the eldest slayer. She hadn't gained enough strength to face her yet. Hermione stepped backwards, grabbed Dru and Spike, and apparated out.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Spike demanded as they landed in a heap in Hermione's old cell.

"To keep you alive!" Hermione snapped, the turned her back on Spike to help Dru up. He just stalked out.

The whole school was in shock. First Hermione and Katie's disappearance, then the bodies, and now the ministry. Fudge had grown so paranoid that he refused to search for Hermione, in fact, he refused to believe she was missing, when confronted by the Daily Prophet he claimed she didn't exist, and he'd never met her. The entire Wizarding World was up in arms, especially Hermione's schoolmates. Hermione herself just found it funny. Either way you looked at it Fudge was going to leave the ministry soon.

Hermione was having fun in her new world. She had become Dru's new favourite, and Spike had a grudging respect for her. The rest of the renewed order of Aurelius walked over the other side of the corridors to her. Becoming a vampire had done nothing to her Slayer or witch powers, if anything it had strengthened her. Gone was weak, bookish little Hermione, and the transformation started 4 years ago when she had first met Harry was now complete. She was a fighter, and a survivor.

"Hermy pet, must you read so bloody much?" Spike exclaimed, tripping over one of Hermione's many piles of books, and snapping her out of her reverie. She just grinned playfully at him and went back to reading.

"Dru and her new friend" he said the last words a little bitterly "want you upstairs." Hermione slowly stood up, and closed her book.

"Who's the friend?" she asked as they started to walk along the corridor.

"The new boss guy." Spike almost spat. Hermione sped up a little, she was yet to meet this person, according to Dru the stars didn't like him, he was too dark, but that could mean anything.

"Ah, miss Granger, how nice of you to join us." A cold voice came from a shadow in the corner. Hermione gasped.

"Voldemort!" She exclaimed, any part of her that had been scared of him was now long gone. Now she loved the evil she could feel rolling off him.

"Very astute Miss Granger. I see you live up to your reputation. You are indeed very smart." A month ago Hermione would be bright scarlet by now, but that was another annoying habit her new condition had changed. Now she simply nodded.

"You don't need to flatter me to get me to do your work." She said, "What do you want?"

The cold voice chuckled.

"Miss Granger, I have a mission for you, one only you can complete."


	7. A mission aside

"Miss Granger, I have a mission for you, one only you can complete."

"What is it?" Hermione asked, curious.

"I wish to have a …trustworthy agent inside the walls of your old school, one who can take care of herself." Voldemort said

"Basically you want someone who isn't a Slytherin prat inside dear old Hogwarts who can relay info, and kill anyone you want killed."

"You put it very crudely, but yes."

"Ok." Hermione said, Voldemort looked surprised "I'll do it, on two conditions." Voldemort nodded. "I want to keep whatever you give me to protect from sunlight, and, ehen you bust the place I want to be able to kill or turn anyone I want."

"Except Harry Potter." Voldemort haggled

"Except Harry." Hermione agreed.

"Miss Granger, we have a deal." Voldemort said, holding out a hand. Hermione took it, and grinned at him evilly.

A.N. Just a quick chapter as a fill in, it wouldn't fit in either of the others. PLEASE review, I like reviews.


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